The Effects of Natural Caffeine versus Synthetic Caffeine On Rat Body Weight and Food Intake
Caffeine is one of the most commonly used psychoactive drugs found on the market today. The consumption of caffeine can lead to both negative and positive side effects to an individual's health. Past research has found rats that eat a high fat diet enriched with caffeine tend to lose weight. The purpose of this research is to determine if there is a difference between rats fed natural caffeine versus those fed with synthetic caffeine. To do so, caffeine was quantified from teas and coffees. We found that Guayaki tea had the highest concentration of caffeine. Guayaki tea caffeine was extracted using the CO2 Supercritical Method. Following the extraction of caffeine, rats were fed diets enriched with either synthetic or natural caffeine. This research showed that the type of caffeine in a rat's diet does not influence their body weight. The rat's food intake has a direct relationship with their body weight.
School:
Middle Tennessee State University
Department:
Chemistry
Research Advisor:
Elvira de Mejia
Department of Research Advisor:
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Year of Publication:
2007